You're A Grand Old Flag (arr. John Fries) by Joe Rizzo Sheet Music for Lead Sheet / Fake Book at Sheet Music Direct

Product Details

Artist Joe Rizzo

Score Type

PDF, Included with PASS

Arranger John Fries

Composer Joe Rizzo

Format Digital Sheet Music

Pages 2

Arrangement Lead Sheet / Fake Book

Publisher John Fries

Level 4

Product ID 1520407

Genre Holiday Standards 20th Century Historic March

Instruments C Instruments

Product Description

TYPE JOHN FRIES IN THE SEARCH BAR TO SEE ALL I HAVE TO OFFER. Thanks, John. "You're a Grand Old Flag" is an American patriotic march. In addition to obvious references to the flag, it incorporates snippets of other popular songs, including one of his own. Cohan wrote it in 1906 for his stage musical George Washington, Jr. "You're a Grand Old Flag" quickly became the first song from a musical to sell over a million copies of sheet music. The original lyric for this perennial George M. Cohan favorite came, as Cohan later explained, from an encounter he had with a Civil War veteran who fought at Gettysburg. The two men found themselves next to each other and Cohan noticed the vet held a carefully folded but ragged old flag. The man reportedly then turned to Cohan and said, "She's a grand old rag." Cohan thought it was a great line and originally named his tune "You're a Grand Old Rag." So many groups and individuals objected to calling the flag a "rag," however, that he "gave 'em what they wanted" and switched words, renaming the song "You're a Grand Old Flag".

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